Ruben’s smirk broadened, and he brushed off Danny’s thanks with an airy wave. “Nej, nej, you deserved it.” He watched with blatant satisfaction as the darker-haired student (and much shorter-haired, too, which was a shame yet fantastic at the same time, as it made the ranking of his own mane even more unquestionably superior) pinned the star on his shirt. The stretched face of a former American president on the former piece of American currency continued to stick its tongue out and make other dumb expressions from Danny’s chest. It was perfect. Although it would look even better posed beside his Prefect badge.

The Swede was considering the idea of using a silent Sticking Charm to ensure that situation happened sooner or later when he registered Danny’s following words. Wait a sec - were they - ‘Huh’. Not that he specifically associated that category of physical activity with pyjamas; it could be any type or lack of clothing, really. But Danny’s tone made it obvious what he was implying. And the surge of irritation he felt made it obvious, quite suddenly and even more irritably, that Danny didn’t hold to expectations of all the Good Guy blegh everyone seemed to think of him.

Ruben experienced a brief flashback to his hookup with Marissa last year, when Danny had all self-righteously declared him a jerk (in more words than that) and made a poor attempt at fighting him. There were clear differences between these situations. Namely, the fact that he and Marissa had been blunt with each other that it was to be a one-time or at least meaningless occurrence, whereas Danny and Holland were serious enough about each other that they were willing to put themselves in danger for their relationship. What the hell was Danny thinking, talking about them like that? Sex could be totally casual if all parties were in favour, but it wasn’t with Holland. At least, not here and now. Not from his understanding of them. Idiot.

“I see.” One thick, well-groomed eyebrow raised critically at him. “You have been busy. But walls fall down.” It might have been an observation. Or a riddle. Or a threat. Probably a combination of all three, with emphasis on the latter, because Ruben was who he was, and it was because of who he was that he was assisting Holland with little side-lessons. He didn’t need to keep thinking about that right now, but filed this interaction away for some later time when it was relevant to decide whether to disclose to them what their boyfriend was talking about when they weren’t around.

Ruben laughed out loud, equal parts at Danny’s question and at the revelation that his younger self’s biggest fear had been Bludgers. “Poor, rich, little Dar-danny-us. Bludgers are dangerous, but not scary,” he teased. “Not like Beaters, which can be both. Even when the Beater is Marissa’s Kit... Maybe most when the Beater is Kit.” Despite his lack of interest in Quidditch, as an athlete in general, he couldn’t help but find it disgruntling when the other players were at a level too low to be a proper challenge for him. The vast majority of Beaters he played against were no exception. Kit was a prime example of someone who had next to zero skill, was easy for him to work around, and yet necessary to keep an eye on at all times on account of being the absolute least predictable Lyra on the field. “She has some minor asset for you, I guess.”

“And of course not,” he continued on, face still amused under rolling blue eyes. “It was not needed. My second-year training was comprehensive. Practical. None of this.” Ruben’s gesture encompassed the classroom, Cinderball-less, the mix of older and younger students, all of it. Everything was fair game when contrasting RMI’s version of Dark Arts education with the real world’s comprehension of it. “Durmstrang was much better at making you to learn, not just… react.”

Really the last thing Danny needed right now was for Ruben to taunt him, but the Lyra realized this was, in fact, inevitable. Although, actually, maybe mockery from his nemesis-turned-unlikely-friend ... more

Wait did Ruben think he was serious? He had only been dating Holland for - it had to be less than five months. Definitely not long enough for anything like… like that . If they had been engaging in... more

Ruben experienced a mild but undeniable surge of relief at the denial. (In addition to this came a less mild and absolutely not necessary to deny surge of humour at the mental image of Emmett in... more

“It’s only a mind-game that a Boggart takes out of your head,” Ruben countered. There wasn’t much known about boggarts, or the type of magic that enabled the creature to access a person’s fears. If a ... more